1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for stimulating neural regeneration and fabrication methods thereof, and, more particularly, to a device having a photovoltaic component for stimulating neural regeneration electrically and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to many paralysis patients resulting from damaged spinal cord or nerves, there is an urgent need to repair a damaged portion of a nerve. However, human neural cells are poorly regenerated with respect to other cells, such that the efficiency of neural treatment is poor.
In the current therapy, patients are treated with autologous nerve grafts. However, the donor nerve grafts, which are usually taken from a part of the body, would lose their functions.
Therefore, it is developed in the field to find a scaffold or nerve guidance channel for neural regeneration, directing regeneration of neural cells and repairing a damaged portion of a nerve. It has been found that electrical stimulation would significantly enhance neural generation, so as to improve treatment efficiency and shorten therapy time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,868 disclosed a flexible electrode array for stimulating neural regeneration. However, the device uses a watch-type disc battery, and the battery material is not suitable for being implanted into human body owing to its toxicity. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,225 disclosed electrically-charged nerve guidance channels, which have no need to be further electrically charged. However, it is limited to enhance neural regeneration without continuous electrical stimulation.
Hence, it is an urgent issue to develop a device for being implanted in human bodies without the need of an external power supply.